This
advice was to point out that some of our top students have chosen what I might
call a `destination' masters program. In one case the student went to Cambridge
for such a program to be followed by a Ph.D. at Berkeley. In another case the
student opted for Physics at the Perimeter Institute (in Waterloo) to be
followed by a Ph.D. elsewhere. The programs are prestigious and allow for some
interesting networking possibilities with top students from around the world.
There is some awkwardness applying for the Ph.D while only part way through the
masters but typically undergraduate letter writers will still be useful. Some
universities (UofT and Waterloo) are tending to offer one year masters (mostly
coursework). The status quo is definitely changing.